The Dilbert Future is Scott Adams predictions of what the future holds, made at the dawn of the Internet era. It is a dystopian prediction. Advances in technology simply give rise to new opportunities for stupidity. Voice operated computers allow evil coworkers to delete your files over your shoulder. New software to run air traffic control runs on the same system as the payroll. Don’t fly on payday! The security scanner at the front door is so efficient it detects not only what computer Dilbert has in his bag, but that the hard disc is in need of defragmenting and holds him back for an hour while it sorts it out.
The framing of the book is a series of numbered predictions.
Some predictions seem to have come eerily true. Prediction 52 says that everyone will become a news reporter. That is well on the way to being the case. The prediction immediately before hasn’t actually come true. Prediction 51 says that the media will kill famous people to generate interest in the media. In fact, it turns out that on Twitter it is not necessary for the famous person to actually die. The interest can be generated just as easily with a rumour.
What I like about this book is that you can find a quote to cover a wide range of situations. This can be attributed to the author if you like, but you can often pass it off as something you thought of yourself. As such it has been a rich source of the kind of humour you need to get through the grim realities of life in the corporate world. For example –
“Prediction 45 – In the Future it will be easy to find customers gullible enough to buy any product, no matter how worthless and stupid it is.”
This of course doesn’t apply to you. And as it happens, I am trying to slim down the huge pile of books I have in my library so if you want to read this you can pick up my well thumbed copy on Ebay.